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On a recent afternoon, rows of businesses in a sprawling Somali business complex were closed.
Carmel Mall of the South minneapolis The suites are home to more than a hundred small businesses, offering everything from clothing and food to insurance and accounting services. On Thursday, the noisy corridors inside were quiet except for the occasional chatter between neighboring vendors. The smell of fried food still lingers in bakeries, the central heating hums, and in some shops the sound of the Quran is quietly recited.
But many sellers sit alone in clothing stores, waiting for the occasional customer to walk by. Business owners say everyone is afraid of federal immigration agents. Sellers and customers, citizens and non-citizens. Some people are too lazy to open a store because they are not expecting any customers.
“It’s been like this for three weeks,” said Abdi Wahid, who works at Mom’s convenience store in the mall. “Everywhere is closed, all the stores are closed.”
Carmel Mall is the economic center of the area’s Somali population, the most populous in the United States, but it also houses housing, a mosque and Quran classes and is a strong community center for the area.
The economic impact of the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge” extends beyond Somali communities: Many migrants are on edge, fearful of going to work or leaving their homes amid an immigration crackdown.
but the president Donald Trump The Somali community has been particularly targeted by his deportation rhetoric following recent government fraud cases minnesota These include some Somali defendants. Trump has repeatedly attacked the community since December, calling them “trash” and saying “they contribute nothing.”
Waheed said early afternoon means 15 to 20 customers at the family-run business. These days, it’s hard to get one.
Wahid is a citizen, but he said the fear is not limited to immigrants. Citizens are also afraid to come in, especially after the killing of Renee Goode and the ICE raid at Roosevelt High School in south Minneapolis.
“I think that leads to a lot of people not even wanting to come,” he said, because they might be targeted “just because of their race.”
homeland security Assistant Secretary of State Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that law enforcement used “reasonable suspicion” under the Fourth Amendment to make the arrest.
“A person’s immigration status makes them a target for law enforcement, not their color, race or ethnicity,” she said.
Upstairs, Bashir Garad handles Safari travel and accounting services. Not only did the Minneapolis crackdown mean he lost nearly all of his clients, but his existing clients also canceled upcoming trips because they feared they wouldn’t be allowed back into the country.
“They see a lot of illegal things going on in the city,” he said. “They see something bad and then they think something bad might happen to them.” Most of his clients are east africaand almost all of them are U.S. citizens. They are still hesitant to travel.
“The government is not doing the right thing,” he said. “If there are criminals, there are criminals. No matter what, there are ways to find the criminals, but it is illegal to name marginalized communities and entire people.”
Ibrahim Dahiye, who sells electronics, said past winters were always slow, “but it’s completely different now. No one comes here. All shops are closed and few are open.”
Dahiyeh said his business has been losing $20,000 a month since the crackdown began and he is now raising money to pay rent.
He said he lost most of his clients. His employees were too scared to come to work. He tapped his jacket pocket and said he always had his passport with him.
“I don’t know what we can do,” Dahiye said. “We believe in Allah, but there is nothing we can do.”